The Successful Warrior Is The Average Woman, With Laser-Like Focus

Yay!!! I’m back redoing the Master Key System class. I participated in this program in 2014 and it was life altering. This is the end of my first week and I’m ending it on a blissful note.

My homework required me that sit perfectly still for fifteen minutes. Perfectly Still. If my nose itched, I could not scratch it … I had to sit completely still. Now I normally meditate each morning so sitting still is not a novel concept for me. However on my first morning doing this exercise (which I’ve done before) every challenge that could arise …. did. My nose did itch, my eyes became dry and scratchy, I was interrupted, I had an urge to use the bathroom and my monkey mind was usually active.
As I sat and calmly observe myself , I rendered no judgement. I took no action. I did not talk to myself. I just observed myself from outside of myself.

To remove distress you must remove the cause and the cause is always within.

And the itch was forgotten. My eyelids lid open and close effortlessly. My uninvited guest mumbled, “oh so you’re not talking” and walked away and my bladder stopped accepting signals from my brain. And I was reminded of two things, one – I had truly gained control over my physical body. Because even though I have not done this exercise in quite a while …. I slid into it effortlessly.
According to the Master Key System, if you cannot control your body you will never control your mind. Well guess what? …. Big Grin coming on …. I can control my body. Whoo Hoo!!!

And secondly, the initial issues I experienced at the beginning of my sit were all my doings. Yup, I had to take responsibility. To be honest I had thoughts running through my head of things that could go wrong while I was sitting quietly. What came to mind was an experience I had from my first master mind session. When I mentioned to someone what was required of me, she proceeded to tell me of all the things that would prevent her from accomplishing such a feat … in detail. So even though my conscious mind said … so she’s a loser, what does that have to do with me? …. my subconscious adsorbed her belief system and aligned it with my doubts. And voila, I created the perfect sh*t storm for myself.

Amazingly I’m now into week 9 of my Master Key Master Mind Alliance class I’m giving thanks for the changes I’ve brought forth in my life. I can clearly see and feel that my life has changed, my outlook on life has changed. How I react to things and people has changed. People and their angst no longer bother me…. it is what it is. But more importantly others are noticing and commenting on the changes.

My Thanksgiving was an example of this. I made myself a list of everything I had to do to get ready … and I stuck to it; I completed everything I planned to do…. even though I was in pain. For a time as I did what I had to do, the pain receded into the back of my consciousness and I actually felt happy. That’s a new one even for me .. in pain and being happy, whoa. But I was happy, I was completing a service to my family and that felt good. So I didn’t complain and I didn’t badger anyone for help and lo and behold they all willingly offered to help, and we had a good time together. There was just so much love flowing among us. I did cook most of the dishes and afterward as we sat around talking they all commented on how great each dish turned out, and it was true. It was as if because each dish was made with love you could taste the love on your palate with each bite. This was a major change for me, in the past I would have either cancelled or complained so much during the preparation that everyone’s holiday would have been marred.

I am amazed at the New Me, because I’m not finished yet. If I can come this far in 9 week imagine where I’ll be at the end of 26 weeks. Starting out on this MKMMA journey is the best decision I’ve made in my life and for my life.

Today I begin a new day and I greet this day with Love in my heart. Peace be the journey.

As I delve into week 8 of my MKMMA project I find myself rereading my past notes from The Universe. I’ve received a note from Mike Dooley aka The Universe every weekday morning for about a decade now , and I’ve saved most of them. Each morning I receive a personalized inspirational note via my email. Mike runs a site called TUT.com… Totally Unique Thoughts, and his philosophy is Thoughts Become Things – choose the good ones. So this week as I read The Master Key System these words jumped at me :

“Here, then, is the secret of the origin of both good and evil, this is all the good and evil there ever was or ever will be.

Let me illustrate. Thought results in action, if your thought is constructive and harmonious, the result will be good; if your thought is destructive or inharmonious, the result will be evil.

There is therefore but one law, one principle, on cause, one Source of Power, and good and evil are simply words which have been coined to indicate the result of our action, or our compliance or non-compliance with this law“.

Haanel states that I must learn to control my thoughts and that controlling one’s thoughts IS possible. He says that it will take hard work for me to develop such mental discipline but with repetition and true diligence I can do it. This is where my daily practice of Emmet Fox’s Mental diet comes in to play. I have been steadfast in my practice of watching my negative thoughts and substituting positive ones for them and it’s becoming a bit easier to do. I am now left to ponder another quote by Haanel :

“You can not entertain weak, harmful, negative thoughts ten hours a day and expect to bring about beautiful, strong and harmonious conditions by ten minutes of strong, positive, creative thought”.

I look forward to flipping my script where I’m thinking positively for longer and more frequent periods of time. And thanks Mike Dooley for opening my eyes to this concept a decade ago. Thoughts do become Things – so choose the good ones!

Today I’ll be recording your every thought and emotion, no matter how “good” or “bad,” no matter how generous or stingy, and no matter how helpful or hurtful they may be. And everything I record… will be played back for you, as soon as possible, as some type of physical manifestation in time and space.

Well I’m at the end of week 7 of the MKMMA class and this is one of my best week ever. Our assignment this week is to live by Emmet Fox’s Mental Diet. This is a pamphlet written by Fox in 1935, it’s an interesting read but really challenging to live by. In it he offers the opinion that the conditions of my life tomorrow, next week and next year is determined by the thoughts and feelings I hold from NOW on. That I cannot change my environment if I do not change my mind and when I change my mind my environment must change. But this is the enigma that we all live with, we’re told to change the inner selves to see those changes reflected in the outer world …..but who the hell knows how to do that?? How do I do That?

Well this is where Emmet Fox and the MKMMA comes in, Fox has devised an ingeniously simple exercise. Here it is. For seven days I must not allow myself to dwell for a single moment on any kind of negative thought. He says this a scientific way to “Alter My Life”… words he capitalizes in his pamphlet, and that it cannot fail.

It is challenging. Fox recommends when a negative thoughts floats into my mind to immediately turn it out and think of something else….Hmm, isn’t that the Law of Substitution? So I tried it. And, it can be done. I wasn’t able to do it 24/7, but I was relaxed about it and it’s going semi-great. And Emmet Fox is correct, it does give you a deep sense of peace.

Here we are in week 6 of the Master Key System and things are coming together. Things became alittle easier for me this week. One of our assignments was to look at and memorize every detail of a photo – which I nailed. I used a different photo each day and I can now recall and visualize all the photos used (score!!). I think I can see where this exercise is headed. I’m pumping up, exercising my visualization muscles, because I must be able to visualize my end goal. I must be able to bring into focus every tiny minute detail of my Definite Major Purpose (my DMP). I must be able to clearly see it, in order to manifest it.

So, what I’m doing now is putting together the pieces of my goal in my inner world. This is where my mind movie and my movie trailer comes in. This is where my vision board – I’ve made mine a holographic vision board – solidify the images in my subconscious. Yes, I’ve altered my vision board to energetically scans the images, extracts the current patterns and the relationship between me and my goals to generate options that are in harmony with my life purpose.

And I’m tying it all together with my Gal in the Glass readings at night. Although the Girl in the Mirror is eager for her pelf to arrive. Perhaps week 7 will have an answer for her.

This is week 5 of my Master Key Master Mind Alliance class. And, I’m working on this week’s MKMMA’s “no judgment” assignment. I have tried to not judge those whom I came in contact with all this week – and it’s really difficult. I found that I’m just as likely to judge myself as judge others …. Hmm, that is a judgment, right? That’s a judgment about myself. Well apparently I’m only supposed to have no judgment when I’m asked for my opinion. And then, I can only offer an opinion if I’m an expert on the subject. OOOHH.

What I’ve found is… I think I’m an expert on all things. You should start studying for that test, it’s really difficult. Now I’ve never taken this particular test but I perused the study guide and became convinced studying is required. Hmmm.

What I have been doing, is trying to catch myself each time I have a judgment (whether I verbalized it or not) about others. I am amazed how much of my daily energies goes into judging others people and myself. That guy who cuts me off in traffic … “Asshole” …(judgment).

That fruit vendor who tries to entice me to buy his bruised fruits…. ‘why don’t you eat them, you creep” … (judgment). The friend who calls me in the middle of the night with a long-winded story…. “She’s such a Drama-queen” …( judgment). The teenager with Halloween costume issues…. “Well , next time don’t procrastinate” … (judgment). The three-year old who called me a “Poopie Head” … “Fresh” … (judgment). Although on the teenager and the toddler I probably could be considered an expert. This is after all the third teenager and the fourth three-year old I’ve had to care for. But then they weren’t really asking for my opinion, they just wanted me to do their bidding, so I’m guessing … No. And good Lord, I was harshest on myself. When I was caught in traffic …. I berated myself for disregarding the inner voice that said, don’t go down that street. “Pay more attention to your inner guidance” … (judgment). On and on and on it went … Although, I was my becoming aware of my judging others, it was in hindsight.

So imagine my relief when I read my fellow classmates experiences. “It Only Comes Into Play If Someone Asks My Opinion”. Phew, what a weight off my mind, because I have a long way to go to before becoming proactively non judgmental. I want to be able to catch myself before I go down the Judgment Highway, so to speak .

Wow, nothing like The Master Mind System to help you learn and grow. And Spidey… my little Poopie Head of course.

As I continue reading The War of Art, I came to the conclusion that one of the most important skills about long-term habit formation is learning how to be comfortable with discomfort. If you can master comfort in discomfort, you can master any obstacle you encounter. Discomfort, often in the guise of resistance, is one of the most common causes of procrastination.

Procrastination causes us to offset positive habits in favor of immediate gratification and put off changing negative behaviors. The temptation to succumb to binge eating, blowing off your workout for the day, negative thinking and television to name a few, is inevitable – but it’s also surmountable, once you learn how to overcome resistance. Because resistance is uncomfortable we often avoid it at all costs. However, desensitizing ourselves to the discomfort of resistance and pursuing positive behaviors, regardless, is the path to personal growth, but one that’s seldom traveled.

It’s a given: If there’s an easier choice, chances are we’re going to choose it. Purchasing high-carb microwavable meals is easier than learning how to steam vegetables. Relaxing in bed is easier than waking up earlier and exercising. Surfing Netflix before bed is easier than reading a book that challenges you. This is why bad habits are hard to break: If there’s a more familiar (and easier) option, we’re going to settle on it (and we can’t be blamed for doing so).

However, if resistance is perceived, not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to maximize your willpower and strengthen your resolve, it can often be the difference that makes the difference in long-term behavioral change.

Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less, describes the Twice, Then Quit strategy using meditation as an example:

When you’re meditating and you feel like getting up, don’t; then when you feel the urge to get up a second time, don’t; and when you feel the urge to get up a third time, then get up. So you sit through the urge, the discomfort, twice before finally giving in the third time. This is a nice balance, so that you’re pushing your comfort zone a little. You can do this in exercise and many other activities — push a little.

The Twice, Then Quit strategy is used by Zen practitioners to help minimize resistance with intensive meditation practices, but, applies to all habits.

Procrastination. We procrastinate to avoid something that’s not comfortable, but if you can learn to stay with that task, even if it’s not comfortable. The discomfort isn’t bad.

Eating healthy. It’s amazing how much our taste buds can change over time, if we gradually get used to healthier foods. That means going through small periods of discomfort, but it’s not that bad in little doses.

Clutter. Clutter is just another form of procrastination. You don’t put things away, or you let a pile of things you don’t need build up, because it’s not comfortable dealing with it now

So, to minimize this problem, we need to be brutally honest with ourselves. Are you really feeling resistant to the task at hand, or is it that the path of least resistance is more appealing? When you become aware of the behavior don’t feel bad about it, it happens. Now that it’s has been identified, continue as usual and be mindful if it happens again. A helpful tip is to ask yourself: If I removed the easier option, what would I do instead? Then do it.

Take the road you seldom travel and bridge the distance between the person you are and the person you know you want to become. You owe it your future self.

The Universe sent the perfect tool to assimilate scroll 1 into my life.

This week I’ve been listening to a game changing audio book. It’s a book called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. No not the art of war, but The War of Art. It’s a book about procrastination, the big hairy monster in my life; but he calls it resistance. He defines resistance as a repelling force that exists around any important work we must accomplish. Hmmm. Recently I’ve noticed that this particular monster was slowly creeping back into my life. Looking into the mirror I could see that my hairline needs a touch up and I’ve been telling myself for the past week that I’ll get around to doing it. Hmmm. Walking into the back yard I could see my the summer furniture still sitting there: it’s been popping into my mind for a while now to go winterize the back yard. Hmmm. My air conditioner is still sitting in my bedroom window … the temperature is now in the sixties, I’ve been putting off getting it removed. Hmmm.

A passage from Pressfield’s book is reverberating in my head, and I hit the replay button a few times to listen.

“Resistance is a repelling in force. It’s negative. It’s aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work. Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work”.

“The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more resistance we will feel toward pursuing it”.

“Resistance aims to kill. It’s target is the epicenter of our being; our genius, our soul, the unique and priceless gift we were put on this earth to give that no one else has but us.”

He goes on to say, this battle inside your self is THE primary battle. At some point we all recognize this conflict within us. The difference is until someone like Pressfield comes along and name it, we think we’re alone in this battle, but we are not. This is a primary human struggle. So, how do you overcome it? Well it’s something you get better and better at overtime. But this is a battle that’s never over, it’s one that we all have to fight our whole lives.

Yes, it seems that I’m somewhat ahead of the game. The fact that I’m aware of what’s taking place in my life is the first step to conquering this bad boy. By consciously taking steps, even baby steps, changes the physiology of my brain. Each time I complete something I told myself I would do, my brain chemistry changes…. I’m laying down new neurons. Turns out all those “Change you brain, change you blankity-blank” books are unto something after all. If I change my behavior, my habits, I actually change the physical structure of my brain. And when I change the structure of my brain I develop long-lasting habits. As a visual my brain is like play dough and each time I repeat a behavior it’s as if I ran a matchbox car over my play dough…. leaving behind tire tracks. So touching up my roots, winterizing the backyard, putting the air conditioner away will help me by overlaying a habit of prompt action over the old procrastinating habit.

Yeah!!! Mastering the habit of doing what I said I would, keeping my word to myself, overcoming Resistance, allows me to flex and strengthen my brain neurons ….. with ahabit I want to develop. So unlike the Borg, I want to resist and I want to assimilate ….my good habits.

In opening email these days there are no shortage of advise from Gurus on how to get rid of bad habits.“Are you ѕuffеrіng frоm аnу оf thе following hаbіtѕ: Ovеrеаtіng, Smoking, Alсоhоl, Procrastination, Lоѕіng your tеmреr, Being a wоrkаhоlіс, Being late always, Nеgаtіvе thinking always. And are уоu fed up оf trуіng to gеt оvеr these hаbіtѕ wіth no ѕuссеѕѕ аt all? Then read thіѕ article аnd dіѕсоvеr аn еаѕу wау tо Chаngе unnесеѕѕаrу Hаbіtѕ”

But have you ever notice that the Gurus do not agree with each other. One recommends Wіll Power tо brеаk оr chаngе bаd habits, but in my experience that is not very effective,especially in the long run. Another suggests bаd habits are the results of emotional issues оr they involve past hurts. Well if breaking bad habits requires clearing emotional іѕѕuеs or healing past сhіldhооd hurts, what’s the point of using willpower. Each guru has a different modus operandi yet all roads do not lead to Rome.

However, as I do my daily read, the words in scroll 1 resonate with me …. Og Mandino says:

“Only a habit can subdue another habit”.

“Good habits are the key to success”.

“Herein lies the hidden secret of all man’s accomplishments.As I repeat the words daily they will soon become a part of my active mind, but more important, they will seep into my other mind, that mysterious source which never sleeps, which create my dreams, and often makes me act in ways I do not comprehend”.

This reminds me of a phrase my mother frequently told me as a child …. Practice makes perfect. And she was right. The more I perform an act consciously or unconsciously, positive or negative, the more adept I will become. Because, each actions lays down a neural pathway and repetition strengthens that pathway. So eventually the habit becomes second nature. And, bam!! I’m in a full blown addition. And the only way to change it is to lay down new neural pathways. Og was right only a habit can subdue another habit.

Thіѕ is what most of the gurus do not get. Kеерing уоur mіnd аlwауѕ relaxed and ԛuіеting you mind of mеntаl сhаttеr, will not subdue a bad habit. What’s needed is the Law of substitution….. the mind cannot hold two thoughts at the same time. But there is a silver lining. While repetition will leave you entrenched in a bad habit it will leave you equally entrenched in a great habit

Whеn it happens, I know it. Whеn something permanent within me ѕhіfts аnd I lеt go оf dеер seated lіmіtіng bеlіеfs, I experience a certain саlm, I drop into that inner place of knowing. Possibilities that never occurred to me before start dancing in my thoughts, they start showing up in my reality.

I movе away frоm my old wау оf thinking and of being, away from things thаt no longer ѕеrvеѕ me. Which if you stop to analyse it, is a very complex рrосеѕѕ. Because there are many lауеrѕ and complexities tо trаvеrѕе to release уоurѕеlf frоm a lіmіtіng belief. Yet, I have found instantaneous release possible, not once or twice but repeatedly.

So whеn the moment comes whеn you finally declare: ‘ I аm dоnе with this”. “This іѕ so оvеr.’ There іѕ a саlmnеѕѕ thаt dеѕсеndѕ. It іѕ not a throaty rаllуіng саll tо thе unіvеrѕе, demanding сhаngе – thоugh that too can bе a part оf thе рrосеѕѕ. Rаthеr, іt іѕ a simple knоwіng. It іѕ a quite Truth, thаt is nоw knоwn to уоu.

Thеrе is a sense оf ‘no gоіng bасk’ аnd that nоthіng wіll ever be ԛuіtе thе same. Your issue nо longer lооkѕ, ѕоundѕ, or fееlѕ the same, уоu nо lоngеr іdеntіfу wіth it. And the truth іѕ, it was never аѕ it seemed. It was merely perception that you believed was your reality.

Damyanti Biswas is an author, blogger, animal-lover, spiritualist. Her work is represented by Ed Wilson from the Johnson & Alcock agency. When not pottering about with her plants or her aquariums, you can find her nose deep in a book, or baking up a storm.